A Lizard In A Woman's Skin (1971)

Directed By Lucio Fulci
Starring Florinda Bolkan, Jean Sorel, Silvia Monte
Rated R
Italy

"By killing Julia, you killed a part of yourself. The part attracted to degradation and vice."

While better known for his horror escapades, and pitting a zombie against a shark in Zombi 2 (admit it, it sounds cooler than it looks). Lucio Fulci directed a handful of Italian whodunnits (as a genre, these are referred to as Giallo) in the late sixties to early seventies. They often featured attention grabbing names, such as One On Top Of The Other, or Don't Torture A Duckling. Though overshadowed by his more lucrative horror work, his Giallo films are actually classics in their own right. This brings us to A Lizard In A Woman's Skin.

Set in early seventies London, A Lizard In A Woman's Skin starts right off with a woman in distress rushing hurredly through a trains cabins as if fleeing something unknown. Eventually the well dressed and proper commuters devolve into a throng of naked revelers as she continues to push through. Until falling down a black hole until she lands on a huge bed covered with pillows and red satin sheets. Which itself is on a red carpet. To be greeted by a laughing semi-nude woman, who immediately begins to strip and make love to her.

This scene is filmed in an unabashed iconic manner. Right away, although not a word is spoken, you are drawn into the tapestry of Fulci's world. The scene is saturated in bold, blood red. This sets the tone for the rest of the film. From here on out, red is featured in nearly every scene, though not as boldly as it is here. Whereas Fulci's London is portrayed in a muted, almost drab fashion. Red pops on the screen in almost every frame. From little dashes here and there, to what we see here. It not only lends the complicated plot a sense of continuity, but subconsciously keeps forbidden sex, and on another level, blood, humming along in the background.

Ok, back to the show. Of course this is a dream and she wakes up. In her bed of pure white sheets I might add. The woman is Carol Hammond (Florinda Bolkan) and she immediately jots down her dream at her desk, which she curiously keeps at the foot of her bed. Then we see her at her shrinks office, Dr. Kerr (George Rigaud) who informs her that the corridors of the train were the corridors to the flat next door. Julia Durer (Anita Strindberg) lives there and is always in this reoccurring dream. Apparently Julia is not exactly "respectable". This excites her curiosity, but also her fear of her freedom he continues to explain.

At this point it is worth noting a gripe I have with Florinda Bolkan's performance. She maintains a dour, puss faced countenance throughout the film. It's a one note performance. And while I admire her consistency, the lack of life in her eyes weighs the film down more than it should have. At no point does she even smile, or do nothing more than maintain that sullen exterior. It may not be completely her fault, she may have been directed to carry on this way. Even so, it's a drag.

Immediately following this visit, we see her wild and woolly neighbor Julia in her natural habitat. Having a wild party. Interspersed with scenes of Florinda having dinner with her friends and husband Frank (Jean Sorel who you may recognize from Perversion Story). Julia is probably imagining all of the debauched shenanigans going on as the ruckus noisily provides the soundtrack to their dinner.

Later we see husband Frank in the office with his boss/father-in-law Edmond Brighton (Leo Genn discussing business. Edmond receives a mysterious phone call, and asks Frank if he is having an affair. He dodges the question, and goes on his way.

Then we see Carol is having another dream. Running down the familiar corridor, except this time the dream breaks from the usual. It takes on nightmarish tones, with dead people and gore, eventually to be pursued by a swan of Rodan proportions. She ends up on the familiar red bed with her neighbor Julia, naked and seductive. Carol grabs her dagger shaped letter opener and stabs her repeatedly. Back in Dr. Kerr's office, she recounts this dream. He is delighted, and tells her that she has had a breakthrough, conquering her fears.

Except, now it is revealed, as detectives rush to a homicide scene, that Julia has been murdered in reality, stabbed to death. And what follows is a mindbending series of red herrings, and betrayal (it seems dear Frank was getting some on the side after all). Also, there were two hippies who were there at Julia's murder. Eventually, they plot to kill Carol too.

For a Giallo, A Lizard In A Woman's Skin is unusually fast paced. Once the murder happens, it kicks into third gear. And you really have to pay attention as you follow along lest you get left behind. Throughout all of this, you are accompanied along with Ennio Morricone's enjoyable psychedelic score. And the film is interspersed with plenty of hot, naked seventies babes as welcome eye candy.

What is remarkable about A Lizard In A Woman's Skin isn't the plot (which isn't too shabby in it's own right). But how all of the elements of filmmaking gel together into one rich tapestry. It deals heavily with the Carol's subconscious, as we have seen, dreams play a major role. And as the events unfold, we can appreciate it on multiple levels. From the use of color, to the music cues, and even how the events at the very beginning foreshadow the way things play out at the end. It doesn't take long  before it is evident, that with A Lizard In A Woman's Skin, that you are in skilled hands, approaching master status.

Availability: A Lizard In A Woman's Skin is out of print. But can currently be had used at relatively reasonable prices.

-BoDuley

Perversion Story (1969)

Directed by Lucio Fulci
Starring Jean Sorel, Marisa Mell, Elsa Martinelli
Rated R
Italy

"Listen honey, don't think so hard. Get undressed."

By the time he had gotten around to directing Perversion Story (A.K.A. One On Top Of The Other/Una sull'altra) Fulci had twenty directing credits under his belt. Despite his immense talent, he was not immune to the currents of Italy's film cycles. He'd directed westerns, spy thrillers, and now he faced the giallo genre. This is a cycle that a part of me wishes had never gone away, because as much as I love his horror output, his giallo features exude much more charm. And Perversion Story is a shining example of what makes the maestro, the "Maestro".

Set in San Francisco during the swinging sixties, Perversion Story weaves a tail of lust, and betrayal. While some betrayals are forgivable. Dr. Geroge Dumurrier (Jean Sorel) faces a betrayal that threatens to destroy his life. When his asthmatic wife Susan (Marisa Mell) dies suddenly. He has to return home from the arms of his beautiful mistress Jane (Elsa Martinelli) to handle the details. Meanwhile, his practice is in danger of failing. And Jane is gearing up to dump his married ass.

Despite all the drama surrounding him, this massive cloud seemingly has a silver lining. Susan had a secret life insurance policy, naming him the sole beneficiary of two million dollars upon her death (Some sources online cite the amount as one million dollars, this may partially be Severin's fault. However at the 21:09 mark, two million is the figure stated.). With his money problems evaporating, and having escaped a loveless marriage George Constanza style, Dr. Geroge is preparing to move on with his life.

However with a two million windfall, the shadow of suspicion falls on Geroge with all of the grace of a brick to the face. It doesn't help that he is having liaisons with a stripper/prostitute (Monica Weston, also portrayed by Marisa Mell) who just so happens to look exactly like his deceased wife. Naturally, the insurance company prods the police to initiate a full blown investigation, and as the case builds against him, it becomes clear to Geroge that he is being framed for the murder of his wife. But by who? And why?

Fortunately for him, Geroge does not have to figure this out all on his own. He has an ally in his mistress, Jane. From the very start it is clear that Jane is in love with the beleaguered doc. And as the evidence against him mounts, she refuses to let go. But as Geroge finds himself rotting on death row (on location in San Quentin), he has to wonder if her gumption and loyalty will be enough to save him.

Perversion Story is in a word, sumptuous. Fulci is running on full cylinders here and it shows. Taking full advantage of the San Francisco location, the city here takes on the role of a character in the movie, not unlike the city of New York does in Woody Allen films. We even get a guided tour of the gas chamber in San Quentin. This is a location where real killers have been executed, and this adds a gravity to the proceedings that most Giallo's lack.

But it is not all doom and gloom for the viewer. Fulci also takes us on a tour through some of the seedier aspects of the city. There is even an extended scene in a topless bar that features nudies on swings, beach balls, theater, and plenty of interesting characters to fill out the background. Such as an old lady in a fur coat. Why would an old lady be here? What does she want? And why is she so unhappy? We never know.

The film itself is a visual feast. How much of this is due to Alejandro Ulloa's, cinematography, and Fulci's direction, we may never know. But the fact remains that you could view Perversion Story on mute and still be entertained. The visuals teem with imagination, and creativity. Unconventional perspective shots, and gorgeous and well thought out compositions abound, all accompanied by bold strokes of primary colors that pop onscreen. There is a scene where Dr. Geroge is making passionate love to Jane. And as they writhe about atop the red sheets, the camera shows us the view from below, seeing them from the opposite side of the sheets. It's amazing shots like this that take the film to the next level.

As I mentioned, you could view it on mute and still be impressed, but why would you want to when Riz Ortolani provides a hip, jazzy score that instantly marries itself to the film. Much like John Williams with Star Wars, Ortolani's score guides us through the proceedings with bombast and cool beats, not in a distracting manner, but instead guiding and informing us. It truly sets the hip shaking mood for the picture.

As you've probably gathered, I really love this flick. Fulci has a sizeable cult following for his horror output, and deservedly so. But one would be remiss to overlook his giallo entries. Perversion Story is a fantastic film by a legendary Italian filmmaker at his peak, with full studio backing. It comes highly recommended.

Availability: Perversion Story is available on DVD with bonus soundtrack CD included at Amazon.

-BoDuley

Murder Rock (1984)

AKA Slashdance
Directed by Lucio Fulci
Starring Olga Karlotos, Maria Vittoria Tolazzi, Gerette Geretta
Rated R
Italy

"You've got to grit your teeth and dance, even when you're friends die!"

The work of Italian splatter-master Lucio Fulci has been praised, critiqued, damned and dissected for decades thanks to the enduring cult appeal of gut-spillers like Zombie (1979), Gates of Hell (1980), The Beyond (1981), and the notorious New York Ripper (1982). But like many Italian directors, Fulci was incredibly prolific, and he dipped his toes into many different genres over his five-decade career, from spy thrillers to post-apocalyptic gladiator romps. He also helmed his share of giallos, as well, including this high 80's pseudo-slasher, a sort of spandex-packed Suspiria-lite that plays like a jazzercize-y workout video with bonus boobs and bloodshed. While it is certainly not the grue-stained maestro's best work, this restrained little whodunit does show a more mature side to Fulci, especially given his  proclivity for show-stopping ultra-violence. But how well does ol' Lucio wear maturity? Let's find out.

 One of Murder Rocks's most dominant traits is its godawful soundtrack, composed by Keith Emerson - a long way from ELP - and performed by Emerson and a caterwauling singer named Doreen Carter. The titles are a good indication to the banality of the songs - "Tonight is the Night", "You Are Not Alone Tonight", "Not So Innocent", etc.Ick. Emerson manages to squeeze out two of these disco/AOR/synth-rock mashups within the first ten or so minutes of the movie. At least the second song is accompanied by girls in leotards.

  The film takes place at a prestigious New York City ballet school, where a clutch of overachieving dance students are up for a career-making spot in some Broadway-bound dance revue. Only three of the eight (or so, I lost count) girls are getting picked for the show, so there's a major rivalry going on. Like in Fame. At the same time, a killer is on the loose.

 Said killer finds one of the girls, Susan (Angela Lemerman), in the shower (right before she's running around in the killer combination of leg warmers and nothing else) and, after chloroforming her, sticks a bejeweled pin through her boob and stabs her right through the heart.

 Seen-it-all detective Borges (Cosimo Cinieri) is summoned to investigate, while the rest of the troupe attempts to carry on without their fellow student.

Another student, Janice (Carla Buzzanca), does an awesome Flashdance rip-off routine at what looks like a piano bar.

 The camera mostly focuses on her vagina, which is nice. Afterwards she goes home and finds Susan's boyfriend Will (Christian Borromeo) lurking around.  But then he vanishes, and somebody stabs her canary to death. And then she gets snuffed, too.

 Borges continues his investigation. "Could it be a paranoid who hates dancers?" He muses. Don't all paranoids hate dancers?

 Dance coach/potential victim number 3 Candace (Olga Karlotos) has a dream about a dude chasing her around and sticking her with her pins. She sees the dude on a billboard, figures out who he is - he's an actor/model named George (Ray Lovelock) - and goes to visit him at a flophouse. He spooks her when he stumbles in the room drunk, and she splits, leaving her purse. Seems random, but it makes sense later.  Meanwhile, Det Borges visits the boys in the lab, who tell him they've got the killer's voice on tape, since he's been calling and taunting them, ala Zodiac. So that's happening.

Candace calls George, and he brings her purse back. Then they have lunch together. Chemistry! Borges drags the gay kid in the dance troupe in, and after slapping him around, he confesses to the murders, even though it wasn't really him. He just made the phonecalls to get famous. Seems viable.

 Meanwhile, Candace and George get it on. He comes by to see her at the school, and one of the students, Gloria, (Belinda Busato) runs up to him and makes-out with him. So that was weird.

 He tells Candace that he and Gloria used to model together. If that's not weird enough, a Chinese fortune teller calls George a murderer, and later that evening, Candace's agent calls her and tells her that once, a few years back, George was banging an underage girl and she died mysteriously soon after. So things aren't looking good for George.

And then Candace almost gets the pin-death courtesy her co-coach Margie (the awesomely named Gerreta Geretta), who hates her. She figured she'd copycat the killer, and no one would expect. But it turns out she doesn't have it in her.

And then another dancer, Jill (Maria Vittoria Tollazi), gets it! But her paralyzed little sister takes photos. So there's a clue involved.

 And then Gloria - who's the last girl-dancer left -  rides to school on her bike, while wearing a fur coat. Classy! Meanwhile, the boys at the lab develop the kid's pics, but all they get is the killer's torso. Not too helpful.

 And then Jill's brother Bob yells at Gloria for being a whore, and then limps away. Seconds later, she gets the booby-pin.

 So then only Candace and George are left. So it's got to be one of them. And it is!

There's a couple of red herrings tossed into the mix here, but the motive for all the killing is fairly obvious, and there's not enough suspects to keep you guessing, so the mystery quotient of Murder Rock is pretty thin. Also, unlike the majority of Fulci's horror films, there's no real gore and very little bloodshed. Nudity is minimal as well. So what's left? Well, pretty girls. And dancing. There's plenty of dancing. Dancing and Keith Emerson's awful giallo-jams. That may be enough for Fulci obsessives, but sleaze-beasts looking for a primo spandex-slasher will want to skip this tepid workout and head straight for the sleazy, sexed-up Killer Workout instead.

- Ken McIntyre